McCarter Theatre Center will kick off the 2009-2010 with a flourish, welcoming the dance ensemble of flamenco legend Paco Peña to McCarter for the first time in a pulsating new show, A Compas! (In the Rhythm).
The Paco Peña Flamenco Ensemble joins an exciting and varied roster of performers making their McCarter debuts, including revered Romanian pianist Radu Lupu; the Japanese Taiko Drum Ensemble Yamato; legendary jazz trumpeter Herb Alpert with his wife, Grammy-winning vocalist Lani Hall; Black Grace, an all-male dance ensemble from New Zealand; three performances of Cirque Mechanics’ crowd-pleasing circus show, Birdhouse Factory; and another pianist, rising star Simone Dinnerstein.
Also making their McCarter debuts are three of this year’s four Cabaret artists: Steve Ross, Paula West, and the reigning Queen of the Cabaret, Andrea Marcovicci.
McCarter consistently attracts some of the most talented and versatile performers working today, and 2009-2010 is no exception. Many of these artists are superstars in their own rights, and all are familiar faces to McCarter audiences, making repeat appearances at the theater.
Returning once again are: the renowned Suzanne Farrell Ballet; America’s leading baritone Thomas Hampson; the sensational David Parsons Dance Company; folk icon Judy Collins; the modern dance troupe Shen Wei Dance Arts; landmark pianist Peter Serkin, with the Orion String Quartet; multi-faceted musician Bobby McFerrin; the elegant pianist Mitsuko Uchida; and the one-and-only Prof. Peter Schickele in the comedic musical talents of P.D.Q. Bach.
Many artists will be returning this year with a twist: a brand-new show or a unique partnership.
String masters Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Zakir Hussain have each been to McCarter separately, but this season they’ll perform a first-ever trio concert of original music; while the Tchaikovsky Ballet Theatre presents a new production of the ballet classic Sleeping Beauty.
Two jazz masters will initiate newcomers to the McCarter stage: McCoy Tyner plays with his trio and Cuban keyboard virtuoso Gonzalo Rubalcaba, and Branford Marsalis performs with his quartet and last year’s “it girl” of jazz, Esperanza Spalding.
Two of this year’s performances are family affairs: fiddler Natalie MacMaster will share the stage with her husband, fellow fiddler Donnell Leahy, and the string trio Time for Three; and Arlo Guthrie brings the whole family along for his Arlo Guthrie Family Legacy Tour.
Finally Tony Award- winning stage and screen actor Roger Rees, last seen by McCarter audiences directing BD Wong in last season’s “Herringbone,” will put back on his performing hat for his solo Shakespeare show, “What You Will.”
And of course, no season would be complete without visits from a few McCarter mainstays.
Returning again this year are: the popular humorist David Sedaris; superstar violinist Joshua Bell and pianist Jeremy Denk; Amalia Hernández’ Ballet Folklórico de México; the family audience favorite Peking Acrobats; The Pink Floyd Experience, whose McCarter debut concert in 2008 was Standing Room Only; masterful Irish musical group The Chieftains; the celebrated Paul Taylor Dance Company; and the mind-boggling, body-bending gymnastics of Pilobolus.
Finally, McCarter welcomes back the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center for what has become a Princeton holiday tradition: Bach’s Complete Brandenburgs.
Subscribing is the easiest way to guarantee seats for McCarter Theatre Center’s upcoming season. Subscribers also receive advance notice of special events and discounts to Princeton-area restaurants and shops.
To order tickets or for more information, call the Ticket Office at (609) 258-2787 or visit www.mccarter.org.
McCarter Theatre Center is located at 91 University Place, Princeton, NJ.

